"O ye who believe! Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty. Observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Informed of what ye do." [Al-maeda ,8]

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Suicide attacks, flour prices going higher and higher as with other house hold stuff, electricity problems, water problems, gas shortage, increasing number of street crimes, military and people fighting with each other in northern parts of our country, no protection of basic human rights, genuine judges in house arrest or suspended, lawyers arrested, teams (cricket,hockey etc) refusing to come to Pakistan, protests every where but our general(R) Dictator (Not-R) says “JITNI TARRAQI IN 8 SAALON MEIN HOI HAI UTNI KABHI NAHI HOI”.

That’s what he calls progress (Tarraqi)…

All Pakistan Democratic Movement(APDM) protesting against the high prices of flour and load shedding.

I was just going through the objective resolution of Pakistan which is considered as the guiding principle for our constitutional setup and also is considered as the reflection of the ideology of Pakistan in the constituion…I wonder if someone knows the importance of this resolution(It seems we are losing the objectivity associated with our ideology).

1. Sovereignty belongs to Allah alone but He has delegated it to the State of Pakistan through its people for being exercised within the limits prescribed by Him as a sacred trust.
2. The State shall exercise its powers and authority through the chosen representatives of the people.
3. The principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice, as enunciated by Islam, shall be fully observed.
4. Muslims shall be enabled to order their lives in the individual and collective spheres in accordance with the teachings of Islam as set out in the Qur’an and Sunnah.
5. Adequate provision shall be made for the minorities to freely profess and practice their religions and develop their cultures.
6. Pakistan shall be a federation.
7. Fundamental rights shall be guaranteed.
8. The judiciary shall be independent.

ISLAMABAD: Journalists throughout the country continued their protest Sunday against shutting down of Geo TV and ARY Digital as well as curbs on the media.

Hundreds of journalists, members of civil society, students, political workers and human rights activists gathered in Islamabad and chanted slogans against the ban on the TV channels. Addressing the protest rally the speakers condemned the government for asking the managements of the two channels to sack prominent and respected journalists.

Pakistani networks Geo TV and ARY Digital were ordered by the authorities to halt transmission from the United Arab Emirates after they refused to sign a Pakistani government-mandated “code of conduct.”

Geo TV was ordered by the UAE Information Ministry in Dubai to cease satellite and Internet broadcasts by midnight local time on Friday, according to Geo TV officials. The other channel also received a similar order with no reason given for the shutdown.

The demonstrators wore black bands and held banners and placards inscribed with slogans for free media and against the ban on TV channels. They also condemned the kidnapping of Shoaib Bhutta, a local journnalist and accused the agencies of kidnapping him. The demonstrators also raised slogans against General Musharraf.

A large number of riot police were deployed near the demonstrators but they did not intervene. Geo TV and ARY Digital were the only networks that had not returned to cable distribution in Pakistan since the shutdown of all private broadcasters on November 3 after President Pervez Musharraf suspended the constitution and imposed emergency. The news channels, however, had remained accessible in Pakistan via Internet or satellite before Friday’s blackout.

The networks had been told to sign the 14-page code of conduct by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority if they wanted to resume transmission. Geo TV and ARY Digital refused to sign. The agreement bypasses due process if stations violate government regulations.

Journalists condemned the murder of the widow of a slain tribal journalist who was killed in a bomb attack in the tribal region of North Waziristan on Saturday. Mehr-un-Nisa, the widow of Hayatullah Khan, was killed when a bomb planted at her house wall exploded.

The journalists set up protest camps outside press clubs in major cities and towns and also staged demonstrations. Lahore, meanwhile, witnessed people belonging to different walks of life coming to a protest camp set up in front of the Geo office to express their solidarity with the protesting journalists. They lit candles there, demanding immediate removal of ban on Geo transmission.

BAHAWALPUR: Journalists on Sunday staged a demonstration outside the Bahawalpur Press Club to protest closure of Geo and ARY channels’ transmissions. They chanted slogans against the curbs on media, imposition of emergency and arrest of lawyers and journalists. The Bahawalpur Union of Journalists (BUJ) and Media Action Committee held a protest meeting at the press club. Speaking on the occasion, BUJ President Ameen Abbasi announced that journalists would also stage a protest demonstration today (Monday).

KASUR: Newsmen held a demonstration on Circular Road to protest the shutdown of Geo and ARY transmissions.

TOBA TEK SINGH: On the call of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists media persons demonstrated outside the press club on Sunday. They chanted slogans against the closure of Geo and ARY channels by President Gen Pervez Musharraf. Later, they held a protest meeting at the press club.

Speaking on the occasion, press club President Mian Manzoor Naz, General Secretary Tariq Saeed, Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal district general secretary Mian Abdul Basit advocate, Pakistan People’s Party leader Chaudhry Masood Ahmad Kahloon, former DBA president Mian Shahid Iqbal, Dr Saleem Ghazi, Haji Abdul Majeed Anwar, Mian Ehsanul Haq Burki and Kamalia press club president Rana Amjad asked the government to lift curbs on the print and electronic media. They also demanded lifting of emergency.

CHAKWAL: The Divisional Union of Journalists and Chakwal Press Club, in a joint meeting here on Sunday, condemned the shutdown of Geo and ARY transmissions.

The meeting was presided over by Chakwal Press club chairman Fahim Akhtar Butt. The meeting passed a resolution, demanding immediate restoration of the news channels.

Speaking on the occasion, Fakhir Mehmood Mirza, Tahir Farooqi, Nasir Qamar, Muhammad Khan Aqal and Zulfiqar Mir announced setting up of a hunger strike camp at the press club. They said the draconian law imposed during the emergency against the media was a clear negation of the constitution of the country. They said the blackout of TV channels had exposed the hollowness of the claims of ‘unprecedented freedom’ given to media.

SHEIKHUPURA: The press club in its meeting here on Sunday condemned the government restrictions on private TV channels.

The meeting was presided over by press club president Abdul Hammed Bhatti. It passed a resolution asking the international media to come forward to condemn curbs on media. The journalists agreed to set up a hunger strike camp in front of the local press club till the restoration of news channels.

PHOOLNAGAR: Journalists on Sunday staged a rally against the closure of Geo and ARY transmissions.

Press club president Ch Zafar Iqbal led the rally. The protesting journalists wore black armbands and chanted slogans against President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

MIRPUR (AJK): Journalists affiliated with national print and electric media here on Sunday staged protest demonstration against the imposition of restrictions on the electronic media in Pakistan including shutting down of Geo and ARY TV channels by the government.

Senior journalists including the press club President Amin Butt, Sayed Abid Hussain Shah, Asjad Shah, Sohrab Ahmed Khan and other office bearers of the press club led the rally arranged by the Kashmir Press Club, Mirpur.

The journalists passed through the city streets raising slogans against sanctions imposed on the electronic media, imposition of emergency and provisional constitutional ordinance (PCO), confinement of the chief justice and other judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and arrest of hundreds of journalists and political and human rights activists.

Lahore: People belonging to different walks of life coming to a protest camp set up in front of the Geo office to express their solidarity with the protesting journalists. They lit candles there, demanding immediate removal of ban on Geo transmission.

Another mile-stone achieved by the current dictatorship after taking a military action against the supreme court of Pakistan, the government of Pakistan has used their relations with the UAE government and shut down the transmissions of UAE based Pakistani Channels GEO and ARY , after the November 3, 2007 decision of imposing martial law, the government ordered the PEMRA(Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) to ban the broadcast of private channels and the latest development has seriously damaged Musharraf’s claims to be a tolerant person and his true fascist dictator face has now emerged.